I’m often asked how to start a career or how to get a job in research or analytics. The application of analytics, both actual and claimed, has become common in most parts of our daily life. Further, the recent proliferation of formal and crowdsourced education programs has only increased the number of requests.

But to be clear, this trend is great to see. The world has so many questions left to be answered, so many answers that need refinement, and so many ways that life can be improved through those answers. Analytics is a great tool to help answer those questions and solve many of life’s great challenges. So, if I can help bring more smart and inquisitive people into the profession, I am glad to do my part.

In my experience, there are some common misconceptions about research and analytics that I’d like to clear up, and there are some common mistakes that I see many new professionals make, especially when they are applying for their first jobs or internships.

My intent here is to provide some context about the profession as well as (hopefully) some guidance on how to successfully enter the field.